Australia's newest batch of Kangaroos have vowed not to let the shock of their Test call-ups get the better of them in this weekend's World Cup opener against New Zealand.

Australian coach Ricky Stuart named four debutants in his side to play the Kiwis on Sunday - Joel Monaghan, Anthony Laffranchi and grand final winners Glenn Stewart and Josh Perry all rewarded with their first green and gold jumpers.

For Laffranchi, Stewart and Perry it promises to be a hell of an introduction against a Kiwi side sure to focus on playing it up the middle, New Zealand coach Stephen Kearney leaving little to the imagination in naming a monster pack.

"I don't think any Kiwis side is small - it's going to be a big game and pretty aggressive with plenty of collisions," Laffranchi said.

"We'll be ready for it.

"The bulk of their team was involved with the Warriors (in the finals series) and they'll be better for the run playing football up until a couple of weeks ago, they'll be fit and raring to go."

While there is little doubt the four debutants will be feeling likewise, there's the small matter of `selection shock' that will need to be overcome first.

While Laffranchi may have been on the selectors radar coming into 2008, back in March the odds would have been massive on the other three being in the Test side.

"It was a bit of a surprise, I was very happy to make the squad and get into camp," said Monaghan, who revealed he would be spared the unenviable task of marking Kiwi juggernaut Manu Vatuvei - a job which has been saved for Vatuvei's Warriors teammate Brent Tate.

"With Justin (Hodges) pulling out it opened up a wing spot, they went with me which showed a lot of faith.

"I went back home to Canberra and I just wanted to play good footy down there and we managed to do that, fortunately for myself I got some rep jumpers out of it.

"Once I played Origin it started to be in the back of my mind and made it a goal that I wanted to make the (World Cup) squad and to make the team is an honour."

For Stewart and Perry, selection caps a stunning eight months in which they went from fringe first graders to premiership winners and now Test representatives.

"It's been everything that I could have hoped for so far this year," Stewart said.

"I'm trying to get my head around it at the moment and take it all in, it's pretty unreal."

Perry, whose career was at the crossroads following his off-season move from Newcastle, said selection had helped erase some of the bad memories of the preceding 12 months, when he was virtually shown the door by Knights coach Brian Smith.

The late-blooming 27-year-old will start on the bench alongside Sea Eagles front-row partner Brent Kite and Kurt Gidley, with Anthony Tupou edging out a third Manly star in Anthony Watmough for the last interchange spot.

The Kangaroos held an opposed session against the Australian Indigenous team in driving rain at Oki Jubilee Stadium on Wednesday afternoon, with Stuart more than a little concerned at his side's lack of match practice.

By contrast most members of the New Zealand side have had two games since the end of the NRL season with a All Golds match a fortnight ago followed by last weekend's thrashing of Tonga.

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